This is the last Rolls-Royce Phantom to be made

Production of the Rolls-Royce's most important car ever has finally come to an end after 14 years

Production of the Rolls-Royce Phantom has finally come to an end after 14 years. We don’t usually bother telling you about a car that’s shuffled off its mortal coil, but this is a big one. Literally and metaphorically.

The Phantom was the second most important model in Rolls-Royce’s history. This might sound a bit dog-whistle, but it’s impossible to overestimate how much of an impact it made – not only did it live up to the “best car in the world” schtick but it turned a fusty car company into a brand that captures that quintessentially British dynamic of rebellion and tradition.

It also heralded a new beginning. For the decades that preceded the ’03 Phantom, Rolls-Royces were cars that were best driven from the comfort of your imagination because, beneath the craftsmanship and association, they were dreadful. Fit, finish, ride, engineering – all were well below what Mercedes and BMW were offering, but they still cost north of £100,000 more than an S-Class or 7 series.

But a mercantile injection of cash from BMW, which prised the company from Volkswagen after nearly five years of wrangling, gave Rolls the engineering to realise the brand’s potential. The merger played to each country’s strengths – Germany’s God’s factory, Britain’s his workshop, and the Phantom’s the very best of both nations. It was quieter, more powerful, more technologically advanced and more visually contemporary than anything else on the road.

It also had atmosphere, ambience and attitude. That got the attention of the disruptive, young money just as much as it pleased the old guard, and over the course of its 14 years the average age of a Rolls owner fell from 58 to 41. Isolate the Asian market and it’s dropped to around 38.

This wasn’t an accident. Rolls’ boss, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, has spent his seven years at the helm steering the brand towards the next generation of owners. The all-black-everything “Black Badge” series, for example, was a response to bosses spotting more and more questionable makeovers of their cars turning up at the valet stand. The solution was to simply customize the cars in-house.

Yet, while Rolls’ core demographic shifts it’s still able to produce cars with universal appeal. Considering that prices started at £265,100, it’s a bizarrely classless thing, and regardless of whether you’re arriving in Porto Cervo or Peckham, it inspires the right combination of artistic appreciation and dread.

Rolls has already proved its able to lead the race in luxury by following its flagship with the equally worthy Ghost, Wraith and Dawn. But the Phantom VIII, which joins us later this year, has a lot to live up to, let alone best. Rest in peace.